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Eswatini Railways

Eswatini Railways is a parastatal organisation that provides transport services for import and export commodities as well as transit cargo. We are considered one of the best in railways in the SADC region in terms of transit time, reliability and predictability, linking Swaziland’s main industrial centres with the railway systems of the Republic of South Africa, Mozambique and other SADC countries in the North.

Eswatini Railways provides 24 hours of technical and operational support to ensure the safe passage and transit of all commodities. Cargo is constantly monitored to ensure it reaches its final destination safely and on time. SR operates as a bridge railway in that we are somewhere in the middle of the ports of Richards bay and Durban (South Africa) on the south and the Port of Maputo (Mozambique) in the East. Currently our main revenue generator accounting for more than 75% of our revenue is transit cargo that passes through the North-South line from Komatipoort to either Richards Bay or Durban from South Africa and all the countries in the North (Zimbabwe, DRC, Zambia etc.) SR presently moves on average 8 million tonnes of cargo a year. Loads range from 2000 to 6400 gross tonnes per train with sizes of 40, 50 or 80 wagons per train.

Eswatini Railways moves a wide range of traffic, including Swaziland’s export commodities of sugar, coal, canned fruits as well as imported goods such as petroleum products, wheat, cement and general goods.

SR operates a 301 km network which is continuously welded with track laid on concrete sleepers. Our East/West rail link extends from Matsapha industrial site to Goba, connecting to the Maputo Port in Mozambique. Our North/South rail link connects to the South African Ports of Durban and Richard’s Bay as well as opening access to Zimbabwe, Zambia and DRC with a link to Johannesburg via Komatipoort. The traffic between Durban and Northern countries is economically routed along the North/South line cutting the distance through Gauteng by 270 km and reducing the transit time by up to 3 days.

The organization possesses a large compliment of highly qualified, dedicated, committed and focused personnel who contribute immensely towards the efficient and effective running of the railway. We have a staff compliment of about 402 people in total. The Matsapha Inland Clearance Depot (Dry Port) established in 1993 at Matsapha Industrial Site, caters for the need of importers and exporters by providing streamlined services that are both time and cost effective.

Dry Port Services include:

  • Handling 6m and 12m containers
  • Access to road hauliers and door to door service
  • On-site customs clearance facilities (enabling the issue of through bills of lading between overseas origins/destinations and Swaziland)
  • Computerised tracking of containers and temporal container storage
  • Onsite shipping lines, clearing and shipping agents to facilitate all necessary documentation
  • Bonded facility.

The Swaziland Rail Link Project

The project is a collaborative effort between Transnet Freight Rail and Eswatini Railways to construct an approximately 146km railway line which will run from Lothair in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa to Sidvokodvo in Swaziland. The project shall link up to the North/South Corridor which includes countries like Mozambique, Zambia, DRC and Tanzania. The project is at Pre construction stage after feasibility was concluded.

It is the biggest rail infrastructure between Swaziland and South Africa

A building block towards a more integrated regional rail system as a platform for economic development and job creation. Providing viable connections for rail freight from Western Swaziland to markets in South Africa, Mozambique and overseas.

Chief Executive Officer: Mr Stephenson Z. Ngubane

Contacts

    • Tel: +268 2404 2486 / 7 / 8
    • Fax: +268 2404 2550
    • Email: info@swazirail.co.sz

Mailing Address

    • P.O. Box 475
    • Mbabane
    • Hhohho, H100
    • Kingdom of Swaziland

Head Office

Eswatini Railways Building
Dzeliwe Street
Mbabane
Kingdom of Swaziland

Additional resources: Eswatini Railways website